NI : historical photos

[bothar]

The Belfast Telegraph historical photos series has some with a road related interest.



This shot of Holywood, Co Down now looks like this

Obviously the continuous line, still used in the Republic, went out of favour sometime after 1961. Any idea when?

[jlsmith]

Are these pictures taken from similar viewpoints? I can't seem to match the two pictures in my mind's eye.

[nirs]

Are these pictures taken from similar viewpoints? I can't seem to match the two pictures in my mind's eye.

It's not quite the same viewpoint, although they're close. THIS is a better approximation of the viewpoint today.

[401Guy]

LOTS more traffic!

[andrew_duffy]

It's not quite the same viewpoint, although they're close. THIS is a better approximation of the viewpoint today.

Nice how the mini has tranformed into a Land Rover with the passage of time - neatly reflecting one of the main reasons why internal combustion powered motoring has a limited lifespan.

[nirs]

Amazingly, that seems to be the same 50+ year old telegraph pole in the middle of the shot in both images. I also note that the gravestones in the Old Priory graveyard have been laid flat and turned into a park at some point between the two images.

[nirs]

Some scenes have changed beyond all recognition. This is York Street at its junction with Great Patrick Street after the Belfast Blitz. The latter street was subsequently widened to become part of Belfast's Inner Ring Road. Modern view of junction.


Here is High Street after the Blitz. And the modern view. The trams are gone, and the buildings are new, but the Albert Clock is still there.


And this is Bridge Street (off High Street). After the war, the authorities took the opportunity to double the width of this street. Some of the buildings on the right of the street survived the blitz. Those on the left are typical post-war modernist buildings. This is the modern view.


This view is almost unrecognisable. The street scene below (photographed in 1922) is now in the centre of the M2/M3/Westlink junction.

[jlsmith]

Some scenes have changed beyond all recognition.

Thanks for these, really enjoyed looking at all the befores & afters.

[bothar]

Proof that some improved roads do lead to Downpatrick!



Faced with the problem of bringing a new section of the road between Downpatrick and Belfast across the River Quoile, surveyors decided on an unconventional solution. They laid a series of large cylindrical pipes, as a foundation for the embankment across the river. The picture shows how these 30-foot long pipes were used to carry the road across the river, without affecting its flow. 5/7/1965

Read more: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifes ... z0jrWg6T1b

[bothar]

Continuous lines in use in Ballycastle in 1965


I think this is here on Google.

[Trebeck]

Absolutely amazing photos, thank you for sharing!

Shame about High Street. We have a large picture in the office foyer of High Street in the 1900s, showing the trams and the glorious old 19th century buildings.

Now half the street is taken up by modernist nonsense (high street car park etc.) and looks nowhere near as pleasant.

Pesky Germans!

Noticed that not only have we deviated from the single white line, but the dashed lines along the side of the road have now been replaced with solid white lines. Occasionally it is possible to see the dashed white lines where the solid lines have worn away.

[bothar]

Nice short of early 60s street furniture and signposting in Ballymena. I think this is it now, not really a massive improvement.

[A42_Sparks]

Yes bothar that was the famous five-way junction known as the 'Pentagon' in Ballymena. The modern shot looks so poor in comparison because the Pentagon is not the important junction it used to be. The new roads built in the 1990's (A26 North Road and A42 Parkway) have bypassed this area and the mini-roundabout is now just part of the route into the town centre.

Interesting signage though, it seems the A42 towards Portglenone was once the B19. Would love to see what is signed for the Ballymoney Road direction.

[Trebeck]

Ironic from a British Leyland perspective that the Austin showroom has became a union headquarters.

[bothar]

Interesting signage though, it seems the A42 towards Portglenone was once the B19.

I thought this was odd, as I couldn't find a B19 to identify the junction. The Barts 1940 map has a "B42", but no B19. Also on that map the route of the B96 appears to be south of its modern route.

[bothar]

Not quite sure exactly where this one is.


Caption
Part of the ..50,000 scheme for the widening and removing of dangerous bends on the Omagh-Enniskillen road near Enniskillen. The house in the centre will be removed to allow the bend to be straightened. 13/3/1956

[Trebeck]

Greencastle

Sometimes it's hard to believe that under J2 used to exist a village community.

https://i47.tinypic.com/1zfz3c.jpg

https://i46.tinypic.com/w1v69c.jpg

https://i49.tinypic.com/2qvta9x.jpg

https://i46.tinypic.com/2lcmnmt.jpg

Boundary Bar, now derelict, which marks the boundary between Belfast and Newtownabbey, just after J2 is visible in the background

https://i50.tinypic.com/voylh2.jpg

This is now a shopping centre



On old maps I see reference to Loughside Bungalows, where the Shore housing estate is now. What was the history here? On the OS maps they look like detached bungalows, almost like a holiday camp!

https://i49.tinypic.com/2gtyu0g.jpg

[nirs]

Greencastle

Sometimes it's hard to believe that under J2 used to exist a village community.

http://i46.tinypic.com/2lcmnmt.jpg

Thanks Trebeck. Here is the same view today, taken from the *ahem* D3M M2 motorway flyover. What happened to Greencastle is not really something to be proud of. Leaving a few rows of houses between the slip roads was just an insult - pretending that you could keep half the village in the middle of a GSJ as if life would just go on.

[Trebeck]

It is a shame. Most of the community between Greencastle, Whitehouse and Whiteabbey was decimated for progress, all that exists now are housing estates and warehouse-like shopping centres.

[bothar]

The scene as work on the Sydenham by-pass flyover nears completion. This is part of the new Queen Elizabeth bridge traffic scheme. 8/3/1966